Free Web NovelBut she didn't intend to give up just like that.
"Fine, let's not talk about the trap."
She changed her angle, "Then let's talk about the people."
She lowered her voice even further, so low that only the three of them could hear.
"The person I want to ask about now is Pavela von Schwartz. What exactly did she do in there?" freewebnøvel.com
When Natasha threw out that name, it was like dropping a stone into calm water.
Frederick's mouth opened and closed, closed and opened, looking just like a goldfish wrapped in bandages.
The small knife in Reinhardt's hand paused for a full three seconds this time before it started moving again.
"Oh, Pavela."
Frederick's tone suddenly became exceptionally light, "Right, she was there too. Poor little girl, catching a pipe explosion on her first day of class. What terrible luck."
"She was injured even worse than both of you." freёwebnovel.com
Natasha said.
"A newly enrolled freshman, on the second basement level, encountering a strange explosion with two upperclassmen—don't you think that explanation is a bit strange?"
"What's strange about it?"
Frederick countered, "General Margaret's classes don't distinguish by grade level. It's not like you don't know her style; she teaches whoever she wants and drags whoever she wants into it—"
"So a freshman who hasn't even been enrolled for twenty-four hours gets dragged into the General's special teaching project?"
"She's a genius."
Frederick shrugged—no, he tried to shrug, then immediately # Nоvеlight # regretted it, hissing in pain, "Hiss... Geniuses always receive special treatment. Aren't you the best example of that yourself?"
"Don't change the subject."
"I'm not changing the subject, I'm providing an example to support my argument."
Reinhardt's small knife suddenly "slapped" onto the bedside table.
The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally crisp in the quiet hospital room.
Frederick's mouth shut immediately.
"Natasha."
Reinhardt's tone remained flat, but there was a layer of solemnity in his eyes she had never seen before.
"Some things are better left unknown."
When he said this, he wasn't looking at Natasha, but out the window.
Sunlight passed through the glass, casting a warm hue on his pale face, yet it didn't make his expression any softer.
"That doesn't sound like something you would say," Natasha said.
"People always grow."
"Are you telling me this matter is dangerous?"
"I am telling you that pipe aging is quite common in the school."
Reinhardt picked up the small knife again, "You really should pay attention to that."
"Fine."
She leaned back into the chair, her tone suddenly becoming nonchalant, "Steam pipes, then. It's not like I'm on some investigation committee anyway."
Frederick was clearly relieved, the tense lines in his one visible golden eye relaxing.
"That's right, we're all smart people—"
"However, there is one thing I'm genuinely curious about."
Natasha asked casually, as if remembering something, "Who's paying your medical bills? The academy's medical insurance doesn't seem to cover this kind of... large-scale infrastructure accident, does it?"
"The academy is paying."
Frederick said, "It's officially classified as an on-campus accident, and the academy is covering the medical expenses for all the injured."
"The academy?"
Natasha raised an eyebrow, "Half the Main Academic Building, an entire training ground, plus a half-built school gate were blown up, and the academy still has extra money to cover your medical bills?"
"Well, about that..."
Frederick's gaze drifted for a moment.
Natasha waited.
"Have you read today's academy briefing?" Frederick eventually asked.
"No. I came straight here this morning."
"It's on the bedside table, see for yourself."
Natasha reached over and took the neatly folded academy briefing.
The first half was an official notice about the explosion, with rigorous yet hollow wording, filled with clichés like "attaching great importance," "fully handling the aftermath," and "thoroughly investigating hidden dangers."
She scanned through this nonsense quickly, her gaze landing on the paragraph printed in bold at the end of the briefing.
"... All losses from personnel injuries will be compensated by the academy official, and all reconstruction costs will be borne by the Schwartz Family."
Natasha read this line twice.
"schwartz?"
She put down the briefing, "Pavela's family."
"To be precise, her sister is bearing it."
Frederick corrected, "Eleanor von Schwartz. Former student council president, the Empire's 'blood rose.' You should have heard that name."
"I've heard of it."
Natasha's brows furrowed even tighter, "So, the daughter of the Schwartz Family gets caught in a'steam pipe explosion' on the first day of school, and then her sister immediately steps in and uses family money to cover the entire aftermath of the whole thing?"
"Your summary is very accurate."
"This isn't called handling the aftermath; this is called a hush-up."
The corner of Frederick's mouth twitched.
"Natasha, your biggest flaw is that your imagination is too rich."
"It's also my greatest strength."
She threw the briefing back onto the bedside table, leaned forward, and crossed her hands on her knees.
"Let me guess. That 'blood rose' just happened to be dropping her sister off at school yesterday?"
"Just happened to," Frederick nodded.
"And then just happened to be nearby when the explosion occurred?"
"Very much just happened to."
"And then just happened to decide on the spot that the Schwartz Family would fully fund all restoration projects?"
"See, there are just so many wonderful coincidences in the world."
Frederick sighed, "It makes one can't help but marvel at the wonders of fate."
"Frederick."
"Hm?"
"If you 'just happen to' say that one more time, I will shove this apple into your other eye."
"Violence doesn't solve problems."
"But it can solve you."
Reinhardt let out a very soft nasal sound from the side that resembled a laugh.
"What about General Margaret?" Natasha asked, "What's the situation with her special teaching project now?"
"It's suspended."
Frederick answered, this time quite readily, "The underground classroom was blown up like that; we can't exactly sit in the ruins for class, can we? We have to wait until the reconstruction is finished before it can resume."
"And the General herself?"
"I don't know. Haven't seen her since the explosion."
Frederick's tone was rarely devoid of joking, "Heard she was called in for a talk. How long it lasted, or what was discussed, nobody knows."
Reinhardt added, "Instructor Sebastian's physical training is also suspended. The training ground is gone."
"That's the only good news."
Frederick lay on the hospital bed, trying hard to perform a prayer-like gesture with his hands clasped, but was limited by the tightly wrapped bandages, ultimately just pathetically twitching his fingers.
"Thank you, steam pipes, for blowing up my nightmare. If there were a deity of steam pipes, I would be willing to offer three sticks of incense to it every day."
"Your nightmare is physical training?"
Natasha looked at him expressionlessly, "How many bones do you have broken all over your body right now?"
"... Seven."
"Seven bones for a month of not having to run, do you think that's worth it?"
"That's because you don't understand Sebastian."
A flash of genuine fear crossed Frederick's one eye, "Compared to that, breaking seven bones is practically a vacation."
Natasha looked at these two guys who had survived a disaster only to discuss physical training, and felt a wave of powerlessness.
She knew she wouldn't get the truth out of these two.
They had clearly reached some sort of tacit agreement to completely cover up the role that silver-haired girl played in the explosion.
And that astronomical reconstruction fee from the Schwartz Family was like a huge seal, plastering over every crack where information might leak.
"Fine, it seems I really can't get anything out of you, so since you're not going to die, you can just recover slowly on your own."
Natasha stood up, took an apple from the bag, and skillfully started peeling it with her pocket knife.
"Hey, Natasha, is that for me?" Frederick opened his mouth expectantly.
Natasha expressionlessly peeled the last layer of skin, then, right in front of him, took a bite herself.
The crisp crunch was exceptionally clear in the quiet hospital room.
"If you want to eat, peel it yourself."
"My hands are broken!"
"Then starve."
Natasha chewed the apple while taking out another one to start peeling.
She peeled it very carefully, the skin coming off in one long, continuous strip.
After peeling it, she casually cut it into small pieces, placed them on a clean small plate, and pushed it in front of Reinhardt.
"Thanks."
Reinhardt put down the knife and the wood, and picked up a piece of apple with his uninjured hand.
"Hey! Why does he get some and I don't!" Frederick wailed on the hospital bed.
"Because he's quieter than you," Natasha said without turning back.
She peeled another apple, this time cutting it into smaller pieces, then rudely shoved them into the only part of Frederick's mouth exposed, nearly choking him to death.
"Eat, eat, I'll just consider it feeding a dog."
Listening to Frederick's incoherent protests and chewing sounds, Natasha thought about that silver-haired roommate currently lying in the high-end intensive care ward.
Pavela von Schwartz.
Who exactly are you?
However, even if Miss Pavela knew of Natasha's doubts at this moment, she wouldn't have time to answer her questions.
She was currently facing the greatest crisis she had encountered since coming to Victoriana.
Not an investigation by the Imperial Security Bureau.
Not the risk of her identity being exposed.
And not the backlash from the erosion of the Path of the Tower.
It was—
The "special care" from Eleanor von Schwartz.
